IT is good to hear that a ‘Policy’ for youths was launched recently.
Also hearing government speak highly of labor mobilisation as a mean for youths to be employed is good.
However is this really the best way for our youths?
To encourage them to go overseas?
In Solomon Islands only 15 percent of our land has been used for economic activities.
85 percent is customary land ownership.
Why do we need to go overseas to find money?
Hearing the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and a former UN Administrator Helen Clark speaks of agriculture as the backbone of economy sure hits home.
The food chain that we have.
Why do we not work on strengthening the food chain here so that everyone will benefit.
Incentives should be given to farmers to plant more.
Exempt tax on agricultural equipment, invest more in infrastructure.
Why do we always have to focus in Honiara and overseas?
Are we not proud of our country?
Before we start going outside, why don’t we start with our own country first?
We go to the hotels we eat food bought from Australia or New Zealand.
Supermarkets buy produce from overseas.
We have an abundance of human resources and land, yet we cannot utilise our resources well.
We focus so much on logging and timber that we tend to forget about the backbone of our country’s economy, Agriculture!
If government should come up with policies again, why not come up with a good policy for farmers and rural people so that they can be able to earn good money for what is worth.
Provide them the incentive they need in order to sustain themselves.
Forget labour mobility for now.
We are only creating more avenues for youths from the rural areas to come to Honiara with the hope to go overseas to work in farms when they can toil on their own land and earn more if government sets it priorities right.
